Thermal insulating building unit



Dec. 14, 1937. E. 1.. BENEDICT Filed 001:. 21, 1956 Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES THERMAL INSULATING BUILDING UNIT Edward L. Benedict, New York, N. Y., assignor to Elb Products, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 21, 1936, Serial No. 106,709

'1 Claims.

This invention relates to thermal-insulating building units, that is to means for thermally insulating structures of all sorts suchas houses, ships and the like, and has for its object to provide a unit for such use which is easier to handle and place in position as well as easier to ship than are the present thermal insulating units.

One objection to the use of metal foil has been the inconvenience in handling and shipping it or else the inconvenience in inserting it. One suggestion contemplated the foil being attached to a foundation for giving it strength. If the foundation is rigid and easy to insert between studs, beams or other framing members, it is not convenient for shipment. On the other hand, if the foil'is mounted on paper and made easy for shipment in rolls, considerable labor expense is required to properly space and mount the foil sheets between the framing members.

It has been customary to crumple up foil sheets and mount them between the framing members. Theobjection to this practice is that the spacing and therefore the efiiciency of the spaced foils will not be uniform and in fact there is not enough certainty that the foils will be spaced apart everywhere. Metal foil is so light and thin and easily torn that its insertion in a building has not been considered altogether easy.

Under this invention metal foils are mounted in pairs with an intermediate foundation and the unit being constructed so that it is easier to assemble and insert in place, yet unusually well adapted for shipment without danger of being torn.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 shows a folded insulating unit according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is the unit of Fig. 1 partially expanded.

Fig. 3 shows the unit of Fig. 1 fully expanded and placed in position between studs or framing members.

Fig. 4 shows how the unit of Fig. 1 when made in substantial lengths can be folded transversely for compactness in shipping.

Fig. 5 shows the manner of inserting the thermal-insulating unit of this invention beneath the floor boards.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of this invention.

As shown in Fig. 3, between studs, beams or framing members Ill and II is mounted the thermal-insulating unit l2 of this invention. This unit comprises an accordion plaited foundation I3 having the plaits arranged longitudinally of the unit and spacing layers of metal foil 14 and 15 attached to the foundation. The foundation 13 may be of paper, preferably about a seventy pound paper (that is, a ream of sheets 24" by 36" weighs lbs.) although heavy metal foil or a metal foil mounted on paper might be used, or where fireproof construction is desired an asbestos or other fireproof paper is suitable. The metal foil layers l4 and 15 are preferably aluminum foil about .0003 inch thick although the foil of other metals may be used, the aluminum foil being preferable.

The foil layer on each side of the foundation may be of the same width or, if desired, the foil on one side of the foundation may be folded around the projecting end 18 of the foundation as shown in Fig. 3 and a nail, tack or other securing means passed through the folded foil and foundation to secure the same to a framing member. In the embodiment illustrated it will be seen that the foil layer I4 is not as long as is the foil layer IS, the foil layer It terminating at I6 adjacent to the framing member and the last fold or crease II in the plaited foundation. The unit illustrated is expansible and compressible so that it is adapted for variations in the framing members.

'In the position shown in Fig. 3 the unit is substantially fully expanded so that the foils limit further expansion of the accordion plaited foundation I 3. Should the framing members l0 and I I be located slightly further apart than as shown in Fig. 3 the ends 18 of the foundation are capable of being bent if necessary in an additional place near the tacks l9. When the framing members are much closer together the unit will be partially compressed nd appear more nearly like the construction illustrated in Fig. 2. When fully compressed laterally of the plaits the compact unit is of the appearance shown in Fig. 1. These units are preferably of customary length between fire stops when adapted for insertion between the wall studs. Where adapted for insertion beneath the flooring these building units may be as long as the beams. v

In order to make these units adapted for shipping in shorter lengths the elongated compressed unit 20 shown in Fig. 1 is folded transversely as often as is desired to make a compact bundle 2| for shipment as shown in Fig. 4.

Where the insulating unit of this invention is to be applied beneath an existing floor 24 it will be found desirable to take up conveniently spaced floor board's leaving the spaces 22 and 23 as shown in Fig. 5. The unit of Fig. 1 can then be Demand inserted beneath the floor when arranged on its side as shown. After the unit has been extended throughout the full length of the fioor beams it may be turned 90 and laterally expandedto fill the space between the beams or framing members la and Na and then secured to these beams in a similar manner to that shown in Fig. 3 with the plaits of the foundation running in'a'direction across the fioor boards.

An advantage in this construction is that the floor boards need not all be taken up but only certain ones and just enough to enable the unit of Fig. 1 to be pulled through beneath the floor.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modification of this invention using three instead of two spaced layers of foils. In constructing the device shown in Fig. 6 the inner foil layer Ila will be inserted between the plaited foundations Ila and i311, the inner foil layer being attached to the plaited foundations either by means of a flexible adhesive or by means of stitching. After the two plaited foundations and the inner foil layer have been secured together the outer foil layers I51: and i5b are then attached preferably by adhesive.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the lightness in weight whereby an efficient thermal-insulating building unit may be provided which occupies only a very small portion of the space occupied by other thermal-insulating material of equal effect. The building unit of this invention is also very light and still more important is adapted for shipment by being folded compactly. The ease with which this building unit may be expanded from its collapsed or shipping position and placed in position is another important advantage. There is a breathing space between the foils eliminating any tendency for sweating or the formation of condensed moisture. This elimination of condensation and sweating precludes danger. of rot taking place in wood framing members and fire stops. It is known that two sheets of window glass spaced apart reduce the tendency for moisture to be deposited on either and this same principle applies to the thermal-insulating building unit of this invention. There are provided partitions between the foil layers which reduce the tendency for convection currents to take place in any but a generally vertical direction.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 any rising currents of air in one cell are substantially out of contact with similar currents of air in an adjacent cell and also are out of contact with the opposite foil layer so that if the foils are difierent temperatures there is little likelihood of heat transfer between them by convection.

The foundation is preferably non-metallic although it may be metal foil somewhat heavier than the foil layers which-are spaced apart by the foundation. If desired some other insulating material than the aluminum foil referred to may be substituted on one or both sides of the foundation.

Substantially similar constructions formed of heavier material are appropriate for use as fire doors, curtains, etc. although in the heavier constructions the foundation slat-like portions need not necessarily be integral but may be hinged or pivotaily secured together as may also the covering slat-like portions. The foils may be attached to the foundations as illustrated by either adhesive or stitching.

In place of the foil layers i4 and i5 it will be understood that foil mounted on paper may be used. It is believed the added efficiency from the use of three layers of foil instead of two i not large enough to warrant the construction of Fig. 6 being extensively used. A simpler three foil layer construction would result from having the foundation ii of Fig. 3 coated on one or both sides with foil.

It has been estimated by one contractor and builder that the units of this invention may be put in place at about one fourth the labor cost of applying spaced crumpled foils now in use. In applying such crumpled foils it is customary to place a fibrous strip between the foils and the heads of the tacks or other fastening means to keep the foils from being torn.

In this invention the edge of the fibrous foundation serves as such protecting strip.

As used in the appended claims, the term "wall" includes a fioor as well as a wall.

I claim:

1. A thermal insulating unit comprising an accordion-plaited-like foundation having the ability to be expanded and contracted laterally and comprising a series of slat-like portions connected together so that on expansion or contraction a hinge-like movement occurs at the connections of said slat-like portions, and a heat reflective metal accordion-plaited-like covering for said foundation on at least one side thereof, said covering also including slat-like portions of less width than those of the foundation and attached by hingelike connections to said foundation at at least some of said hinge-like portions thereof on at least one side.

2. A thermal insulating unit comprising an accordion plaited foundation having on at least one side thereof an accordion plaited layer of fragile foil material having its plaits of less depth than those of the foundation and attached and positively secured to the foundation along at least some of the vertices of the foundation, each side of said unit being expansible and compressible laterally of the plaits, air cells being formed on at least one side of the foundation when expanded.

3. A thermal insulating unit comprising an accordion plaited foundation having on at least one side thereof an accordion plaited layer of metal foil having its plaits of less depth than those of the foundation, attached to and positively secured to the foundation along at least some of the vertices of the foundation, said foundation on each side being expansible and compressible laterally of the plaits, and a second layer of metal foil having-its plaits also of less depth than those of the foundation and positively secured to the foundation along at least some of the vertices on the opposite side of the foundation from said first layer of foil, whereby the foil layers are maintained in spaced relation when the foundation is at least partially expanded, at least one of the foil layers being adapted to limit lateral expansion of the foundation and said foundation being of nonmetallic thermal insulating material, air cells being formed on both sides of said foundation when expanded.

4. A thermal insulating unit comprising an accordion plaited foundation having on at least one side thereof an accordion plaited layer of metal foil having its plaits of less depth than those of the foundation, attached to and positively secured to the foundation along at least some of the vertices of the foundation, said foundation on each side being expansible and compressible laterally of the plaits; said unit when compressed laterally being foldable longitudinally for compactness in shipment.

5. A building wall having an air space between framing members, a thermal insulating unit secured in said space and held by said framing members in spaced relation to any covering for said framing members whereby an air space is provided on each side of said unit, said unit including an accordion plaited foundation having on each side thereof a plaited layer of metal foil positively secured along at least some of the vertices of the foundation, said unit being constructed to be expansible and compressible for shipment and before being attached in position, the foil layer on each side having its plaits of less depth than those of the foundation whereby the space between the foil layers on opposite sides of the foundation is divided by the foundation into a number of air cells, each of which has two of its walls constituted by the foundation plaits.

6. A thermal insulating unit comprising spaced layers of metal foil each folded by being creased in substantially alternate directions longitudinally, and a non-metallic foundation of thermal insulating material also folded by creasing in substantially alternate directions longitudinally and having at least two of its folds attached to and positively secured for a substantial portion of their length to one of the foil layers adjacent folds in the foil, at least two other foundation folds on the opposite side being similarly secured to the opposite foil layer, at least some of the folds in the foundation being spaced apart a substantially greater amount than are the foil folds whereby the foundation effects a spacing of the foil layers when either compressed or expanded, the foils and the foundation together being adapted to be expanded and compressed laterally of the folds on each side of the foundation, and the foil layers being adapted to limit lateral expansion of the foundation and form air cells on both sides of the foundation when expanded.

7. A thermal insulating unit comprising an accordion plaited foundation having on at least one side thereof an accordion plaited layer of flexible metal foil material which has its plaits of less depth than those of the foundation and which is attached to and positively secured to the foundation longitudinally and adjacent at least some of the vertices, each side of the unit, that is front and back, being expansible laterally of the plaits from compressed position, and the said layer of flexible metal foil material limiting the lateral expansibility of the foundation between at least the secured together proportions of the foundation and flexible foil material to form air cells between the foil material and foundation when expanded.

EDWARD L. BENEDICT. 

